Have you ever found yourself throwing out an item that can be repaired? If so, you’re not alone. A recent study found that on average, Americans throw away $640 worth of clothing and other textiles each year. That’s a lot of money! But it’s also a lot of wasted resources. The truth is there are many reasons as to why we should try to repair our old items and appliances instead of just tossing them in the trash can or recycling bin.
1. Fixing Something Can Be Very Satisfying!
I mean, what do you usually feel when you see your favorite shirt ripped to shreds? Disappointed and annoyed because it’s going to take a lot to fix all those tears. But what if you could just use a needle and thread to repair that small tear? It would be much more satisfying than just tossing out the item, wouldn’t it? The same goes for old family heirlooms like clocks. If you have an old beautiful piece, there is a clock and watch repair in Baltimore, but be sure to do your research. Imagine seeing that old piece working again?
A lot of people enjoy fixing things and getting the satisfaction of repairing something instead of just throwing it away. Although you might not be able to fix everything, there’s plenty that you can repair such as ripped clothing, leaky faucets, broken appliances and more! It really is a rewarding experience and makes your home feel like a home again instead of looking like a landfill site.
So if you’re thinking about purchasing a new item because your old one is broken, try asking around to see if anyone else needs it first and try repairing it yourself! Not only will you save money and the environment, but you’ll also feel pretty good about yourself knowing that you didn’t waste anything.
2. More Environmentally Friendly Than Throwing Out Broken Appliances.
A lot of people think that just because an item doesn’t work properly anymore means that there’s nothing else we can do with it, but that’s actually not the case! In fact, repairing electrical appliances is much better for the environment because recycling them usually involves breaking them apart into pieces which requires a lot of energy. Repairing electrical appliances would require no additional energy because you’re just repairing it to make it work again!
3. Our Landfill Site Are Overflowing With Trash
We’re running out of ways to dispose of all the landfill waste that’s just sitting in our green spaces. Whether you live in a large city or even a small town, there are probably items taking up space on your local landfill site because nobody knows what else to do with it. So if people don’t want their old stuff anymore, try asking around to see if anyone else would like it because chances are somebody would! You can also use resources such as Craigslist or Freecycle to find someone who might need the item more than you do.
4. The Apparel Industry Is The Second-Largest Industrial Polluter In The World.
Apparel is the second-largest industrial polluter in the world, and that’s a pretty terrible fact. In other words, by throwing out your old clothing items instead of trying to mend them, you’re only adding to this problem! Finding long-term and sustainable solutions is important.
5. 95% of Used Textiles Can Be Recycled or Repurposed
If you’re not up to doing the repairs yourself, you can always try donating old clothing or textiles to a local charity store. If they have certain color tags for their dress donation bins, you might even be able to get a little money back from your unwanted items! It’s also a great way of recycling and repurposing your old stuff so it doesn’t take up space in your home or landfill site anymore
6. You Could Sell It To A Second-Hand Store
If you do eventually decide to throw out your old stuff, make sure that it goes to a second-hand store instead of the landfill. By doing this, you would be giving people an opportunity to purchase your old clothes, appliances or whatever else you have lying around the house at a huge discount! So if someone is thinking about purchasing something new but they don’t want to spend too much, they can come to your house and pick up whatever you’re trying to get rid of for a fraction of the price.
7. You’ll Save Money in the Long Run Instead of Buying New Things Constantly!
When you repair something, you prevent any unused items from ending up at our landfill sites or recycling centers where they can cause pollution and take up space that could’ve been used for other purposes. Repairing your old stuff also saves you money because buying new isn’t always the best option especially when considering all the costs associated with manufacturing, distributing and marketing new products versus just fixing what you already have laying around the house. So repairing items will save you money that could be used for other things in the long run!
8. Old Things Are Better Quality
Since fixing items usually mean that you’ll be using them for a long period of time, that means it’s better to try and keep them as long as possible. Repairing your old stuff is always going to be better than throwing them out and buying newer versions because even though new versions might look good on the outside, they’re not very durable and won’t last as long as older products. For example, if someone buys a new phone every year or so, by doing this, they would’ve spent more money than someone who purchased their first phone which was used for five years before replacing it with a newer model. So repairing items will save you money in the long run because you’ll only need to buy new one time, rather than replacing your old product every time it becomes unusable.
You should never throw out items that you can repair. In fact, repairing your old stuff is a great way to save money and the environment. It also gives people an opportunity to purchase something from you at a fraction of its original price which means they’ll have more disposable income!